BRIAN DIVIS
My practice strives to prompt an investigation into individual ideas of constructed reality and human interrelations by questioning the tactile perceptions and knowledge of the objects in our shared space. It is guided by the notion that acceptance in the perpetual shifting of cultural and aesthetic orientations is a crucial component in achieving human empathy and understanding.
Taken as Gospel
The work in this series investigates issues of domesticity, gender, reverence and material tradition. It aims to create a state of material ambiguity by complicating the relationship between sculptural surfaces and the traditions of painting and light. The material transformations in the work create a frame of reference to engage with others empathetically by fostering an understanding of ourselves and the uncontrollable forces at play in the formation of our objective opinions, often leading to pernicious absolutes and stereotypes.
My material choices of fibrous textiles and metal powder are motivated by a rural midwestern background, which involved being situated between the profound influences of a loving matriarch, skilled in the craft of sewing and working with textiles; along-side a labor driven patriarch who built a career working at the local wire and steel mill.
Banal yarns and fibers, often associated with craft, are integrated with metal to question our conventional orientation to the materials and create a tactile reflective surface worthy of reverence. The gendered histories of the materials are reimagined and reborn into a fresh place of disorientation, presenting an opportunity for individual discovery through re-acclimation and awareness. I intend for objects to emerge with a thick presence that raises a curiosity to revisit individual notions of socially constructed objective opinions and beliefs.
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Comfort and Desire (Banket of St. John)
2021, Yarn, Gesso, Metal Powder,
Graphite, 82 x 25 x 6 inches
Photo: Nathan Keay
Oscillations Series II
Contemplation
An increasingly fast-paced world and overwhelming rate of information exchange through digital media has absorbed our ability to have genuine experiences on our own terms. Through this work i intend to facilitate a phenomenological experience of contemplation, meditation and self-discovery that initiates a meaningful moment in time and profoundly connects to the human consciousness.
I employ a certain subtle quality of curiosity through use of material techniques combined with diptych compositions to initiate the conversation. The outcome of the experience is undetermined and dependent upon many factors including the viewers state of mind, personal experiences and engagement with the piece.
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Contemplation (Diptych VI)
2019, Oil on Canvas, 60 x 96 inches
Oscillations Series I
The Aesthetics of Sound
This series explores the connection between the science of sound and the visual aesthetic created when we listen to music. The images our mind creates as we listen to music can be a powerful individual experience. These paintings deal with the juxtaposition between this distinctive human response and the scientifically measurable data generated in the form of sound waves. This helps explain why the compositions have a softer blurred effect layered with horizontal slightly oscillating lines to create a sense of multiple dimensions.
There is an intentional effort made to show my hand in the work to contrast the more scientific aspect of the idea. In an age of digital images, this is an important component of the work that helps it bridge the gap between the static notion of scientific data and the dynamic artistic interpretation.
Oscillations VII
2018, Oil on Canvas, 30 x 40 inches
Landscape Series
Order and Environment
This series portrays a simplified visual experience using the subject of landscapes. The environment we observe each day is a source of continual sensory stimulation and inspiration. We subconsciously identify with core aspects or elements of these experiences. These paintings contrast the basic features that make viewing our environment enjoyable with a simplified mechanical composition. The elements of horizon line, color, transparency and horizontal movement are evident while other traditional aspects of a landscape are distorted, simplified and rearranged.
Landscape VII
2018, Oil on Canvas, 30 x 40 inches
Past Work
Figurative Series
The Intellect of Emotion
This series examines the delicate balance of how we interact with ourselves on a daily basis. Sometimes we behave impulsively out of pure emotion or desire simply to be corrected by our intellect. Other times, we become engrossed in intellectual thought and instinctively search for behaviors driven completely by how we feel. This notion helps explain why my figures are simplified into geometric, even mechanical, compositions that juxtapose the subjects’ sense of humanity. The drama of the pose becomes integrated with the linear nature of the composition. Visual richness is created by combining this concept with the pure aesthetic appeal of layered paint on canvas and a sense of illuminated depth.
The Longing
2008, Oil on Canvas, 30 x 40 inches